Apparatus for producing and debarking wood chips



March 4, 1958 w. a. FORMAN 2,825,371

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING AND DEBARKING WOOD CHIPS Filed May 13, 1955INVENTOR WILLIAM O. FORMAN ATTORNEY United States Patent O APPARATUS FORPRODUCING AND DEBARKING WOOD CHIPS William 0. Fol-man, Fitchburg, Mass.

Application May 13, 1955, Serial No. 508,228

8 Claims. (Cl. 14441) In lumber operations generally there is always alarge amount of waste, it being estimated that about 40% of all treescut as timber is waste material insofar as the lumber, paper pulp, andother forest products resulting are concerned. This is one of thefactors that leads to depletion of forest reserves and consequent need,well recognized in the art, of reforestation, tree farming, etc.

For instance, the slabs and edgings produced in a saw mill areordinarily completely wasted, and it is usually necessary to convey thesame to some point where they may be destroyed by burning without anybenefit derived therefrom. This is particularly true in warmer climatesWhere heat is not needed for any purpose, and in many northern mills itis not economical to obtain heat from waste. Saw mills are ordinarilyrun by electricity generated at a remote point or by gasoline power inthe case of small portable mills, although steam power is of coursestill used in some instances.

In the production of paper pulp, trees are cut down and are topped atapproximately five inches in diameter and these tops are completelywasted, as it is not economical to handle the same under prior artpractices for the production of paper pulp. This type of waste formsfire hazards if not reduced to chips, or otherwise disposed of. Inaddition, in making most kinds of paper, it is necessary to remove thebark from the logs before they are converted into chips for making thepulp, and this I requires the use of expensive machinery and extensivehandling of the legs, so that a great deal of labor is involved in thephysical action of handling the logs and removing the bark prior topassing the logs through the machines for comminuting the same. Also itis usually a requirement in making pulp for most kinds of papers thatthe'wood chips going to make up the pulp be of uniform fiber length andcorrect desired size, having reference to the kind of wood and the typeof paper to be made.

In general, it is the basic object of the present invention to providebark-free wood chips of accurate size and fiber length, particularly formaking paper pulp,

wherein not only the usual pulp logs may be quickly,-

easily and accurately processed without prior de-barking, but alsowherein all kinds of mill waste may be utilized and the tops of thetrees formerly wasted may be utilized at least down to approximately aninch tip; also at the same time the invention provides improved chips,i. e., completely de-barked and of correct size, with much less laborand expensive machinery being required to carry out the process.

Further objects of the invention include the provision of a pulpchipping machine and a method for producing debarked chips for the pulpindustry including a cutter head, a cutting knife thereon, and a chipbreaker associated with said knife and having such a construction andsuch a position relative to the cutting edge of the knife blade that allbark is completely separated from the chips being produced simply byreason of the action of "ice the chip breaker which not only breaks thecut Wooden piece into chips of substantially exact size as desired, butalso due to the same action separates the bark therefrom; this actionbeing achieved through abruptly changing the direction of the slice ofwood being cut and at the same time supplying a blow thereto, the blowbeing delivered by the chip breaker itself, which engages the slice ofwood being cut immediately after the cut, and pushing the slice awayfrom the main workpiece quickly and abruptly, breaks the same into therequired chips and knocks the bark therefrom at the same time. Thisinvention provides that all kinds of wood, mill waste, etc. are quicklyprocessed at high speed and the chips and the separated bark aredischarged from the machine into any kind of container desired,whereafter automatic means may be provided for dividing the bark piecesfrom the debarked chips, as for instance by centrifugal action, airblastdevices, etc., so that one man only may produce pulp chips in conditionready for the pulp mill to a degree formerly requiring the labor of atleast nine men, who are necessary to operate the de-barking mill of theprior art as well as the machine for comminuting the de-barked logs,etc., with the additional benefit that pulp chips may be made frommaterials heretofore wasted and thus acting in a very considerabledegree to aid in preservation of existing forest reserves.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will'appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 isa sectional view through a cutter head illustrating the construction andoperation of the present invention; I a a Fig. 2 is a similar viewshowing a modified type of cutter head;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a combined cutting blade and chipbreaker;

Fig. 4 isa plan view of the chip breaker;

Fig. 5 is a view from the opposite side thereof;

Fig. 6 is an edge view thereof; a

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section on line 77 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a view in front elevation of a disc-type of cutter to whichthe present invention may be applied.

Referring now to Fig. 1, there is shown herein a cutter head generallyindicated by the reference character 10. As illustrated, this cutterhead is cylindrical in nature and rotates in the direction of thearcuate arrow, i. e. in a counter-clockwise direction. This cutter headmay be constructed more or less in accordance with the disclosure ofPatent No. 2,634,062 dated April 7, 1953, and is provided with a seriesof gullets 12 which extend longitudinally of the cutter head and openout at the periphery thereof forming arms 14 each having an inner face16 against which the fiat longitudinal cutting blade generally indicatedat 18 is applied. Each gullet is wedge-shaped and wedges 29 may besecured therein by any desired means such as the bolts 22, to hold andposition and the cutter blade.- e I Wedges 2% have bolted thereto atcorresponding sides thereof in adjusted relation, a chip breaker whichis generally indicated at 24 and is more particularly illustrated inFigs. 3 to '7 inclusive. When. it is desired to grind the cutters 18,the wedges are loosened with the chip breakers 24, and when the cuttersare replaced, the original setting of the chip breaker with relationthereto is thus easily obtained, and it has been found that although thecutters 18 are dulled with use and have to be Referring now moreparticularly to Figs. 3 to 7 in-:':

elusive, the chip breakers 24 are each seen to comprise Q Not FPYI RY Ii t y ,securablepito thewedgesflas above stated by headedbolts 28 or thelike; Each'chip breaker blade'or plate is provided withia beveled edge30 andjh s s fo 'n ed yyith aseriesofrelativelY small equally spa edShip. breaking teeth, each oflwhich'iiszigenerally atea i nra ,cs.by.lie elina h dea g e e o the respective te th as 'ndicated atj38.[111e sharpened edges 35$ ar'e I w l inseam that harpen d ed flie sq wh; wa immihei main body; Q thei Workd a infl iq 'atw- Th sha p edg i a ef ;tbi th ;i inreyide with'a gnlsharnle g 4, d "the AQIWEIdedgeIof,each1tooth' indicatediat 36 is also I 335 and 376 joinfqmtiq zmim A z t ac ton hrand as seen nt g. 1 7' a h X1291 i em edirqm1 1 c sharp cu ti g dge as ofthe settin blade, 4 81 h rear the eofand ah side a awe V a relfatiyiely tifia t lbiade rniplate provided withslots 26 Off from any chipto which? na u ally connectedr After the chipshave been thus produced,1it is merely it necessary to divide the barkpiebes'frorflfthe chips and r J tthis is conveniently done bycentrifugal means'in automatic machinerytn-ot forming a part oftheipresent in' ventiQn, butwithout'the attention of any' operator] 7 Va It has been foundthatiit'gtales nine men to handle,

de=bark and 'chip oflE prulpi logs in comparison tojthe amount'of'chip's prodncedby {aflsingle machine of the present invention whichrequires btit a single than to feed the mateiial thereto asabovedescribed;

'Alhough the invention has 'been'shown above as ap plied toa cylindricalcutter, it mayal'so be'applie'd to a *7 iiqi i 'sds 1 an a .shanred ,3-is at ,jafilesser an 7 te t s an ula r lat n hip being with respect; th

T i a e 1 19 ivqs ts emerge w h b e e .o r t bn r 48 which are in aleading pgsition flithgrespect to the n P kets asithe enter rotates.

"Q'Ihrernay be T ork; sngporting table "or the like :1"

inibiii' 50:af1d the chips are ciit and delivere diat ahigh i f ratd'ofspeed as has been diagrammatically indicated in Fig, 1, ihese-chipsbeing of correct fiber length and mixed 1 'with pieces f'df barkfbut infcases the pieces tqf bark are contpletelyfseparated from the woodenchip's.

yersed withjrespectto the fflat'side ,of V

,The' g'rain or the wood is indicated in Fi 1 and this 7 is the mannerinwhich the usual pulp log Will be presmall poles derived from the tops ofthe" logs as abve described; As the individual'cutters 18 come. intocontact withthe work"W,1theytend to slice'ofi 'a relatively thin sectionof the work, and this section is fclearly illustrated as coming incontact immediately after beingsevered The ch ip 'breakerbe'ing on 'theoblade :as respectsthe work W, the latterjis not only sliced,

flbut the slice is given a'blow', and'atthe same time the direction offlow ofthe 'gutslice'is abruptly and con-.

side rably changed i 'e., the slice issharply'bent overito the right inFig. '1. This action is caused; by theehip' ehip's'brf 'strigs of equalthickness depending upbi the w weed -and the settings "of thebladest'Howey'er; it I 'hasibeen'found-thatithese chips are imiform in"thickness tldefiberr length is held toa maximuni 'fle'gree of ssiby'reason of the adjusted 'rlatieh hip Ofbltflel" he critter heedffmdthebedkni e ,A

actiontat rl 'ght angles to'the first split, and the blows men;

: tione d aboy e :are sufiicie'nt to continue theisplitting act tion sothat the strips brehips are dii ided each "accordv 7 f'ing to'thespacing of the teeth "3: 2- Hence theehipsFare i of substantiallyexactsizeand .fiber'len gth and zat the L side bf the cutter V a 7 Q 51 '99?the es a dlll rd bi flli p l i iplf br kin 21 4 99 9 the. r n lt e mabut the e 1 ha pgd es gr me chip breakers s2 alsoinitiate. a splitting.

t a t prising a lc'utter head, an edged cutting blade thereon, a "semedK? h c tter as'well as the edgings; slabs, andth disc-type of cutter-tasvlillnstrated,inefilfs 'VPatentQNO s 2,130,457 dated September 20,:193,8;a1id this constrnc i tion "has been shown in Figs. 2 and8,-wherein the Work 'supportis illustrated at R and the disc isindicated by the reference numeral -52. This diso is pro ided-with slots54 and aseries of inclined knife-receivingedges's. The

fcuttingknife 18 and-thechip breaker ztare substan ally the same a sabove described andthe action of th se is .v {the same also. l-lc zweler ,iititis mere convenient "i V particular'construction bolt the twoblades in r a i ti vely adjusted position to the cutter head through surface 56 as illurs t rated by the bolt 5$; sincefthistytie of gutter doesnot utilize the wedges 29. r

- Itwillbeseenthat th finy'entlo n providesa metho andv apparatus for.producing tie-barked chips rep the weed 'pplp industry and'tPIQVidiHgffQiZ the'ntilizi ng df t'waste pieces; the saying injwoodt'amountin gtd thonsands of acres oi; timber a year, so great; ispresentl-day paper V riroductio'n. Not only'is vi ood'sayedandbettertupulp; chips produced, but v also the labor involved isrednced' 1ton minimum as well;as the necessity forjcostly capital 7 equipmentinsofar as :derbarkingimachineslare concerned; I Haivih'g thus describedmy inventipn and the advantages I thereoflI do not wish rto be limitjedtoi'the details herfe'in 1 l disclosed, othertuliseth an as is eti'fqrthin the -claims,"

what I claim is a i baIk-fre'e ood 7 1. Apparatus for chin breaker meansholdingithe chip-breaker to the blade} V in pointssgacedfirenrthefcutting bladet a aking'bark-free Wood 'chrpsjcom i i a 9w? lh???' a l l t t' l t "Mimi;a Ph b ake msa ts. old f hi im e gla eg 7said chipgbreaker"comprisinga bladehaying a Tser eso'r spaced teeththerepn s'aid-teeth extending'awaytfrom the? a is'il nsia Quit -r ea rae ip-b e ke me t i 'te atipn 'theifirs a a 'l i Point spaced pm the ttn bl de:

7 s i in Blade i ti ae r i t e s a ndf e n 7 l at d nwa l -9i. H

the-work substant ally tp'the cntttng act onpf'theicuttng edge of cutterblade to engag e blade,"isaid teeth each having a sharp edge normal elatvefie e ge Q utfln s; n 3 aid-s ame 1 sta le steam ldin'"4.*Aicuttefheadifqi' makiligbu f rtf ee woed ehiiis o prising a body, arecesslthejrein; a Wobdebutflrigble cnred in the recess in positiontoexpose the cutting dge 'might be sri ma'nyaad r the cutting blade, saidchip breaker being at the side of the blade facing away from the mainpart of the work to be chipped, said chip breaker comprising a platehaving an edge and a series of spaced teeth on the chip breaker blade,said teeth facing away from the cutting blade, said chip breaker bladeteeth each having an edge portion located at an incline with respect tothe cutting blade and another edge on an incline with respect to thecutting blade and the first-named tooth edge.

5. A cutter head for making bark-free wood chips comprising a body, arecess therein, a wood-cutting blade secured in the recess in positionto expose the cutting edge thereof, and a chip breaker on the body andheld against the cutting blade, said chip breaker being at the side ofthe blade facing away from the main part of the work to be chipped, saidchip breaker comprising a plate having an edge located inwardly of theedge of the cutting blade and a series of spaced teeth on the chipbreaker blade, said teeth facing away from the cutting blade and beinglocated inwardly of the edge of the latter, said chip breaker bladeteeth each having an edge portion located at an incline with respect tothe cutting blade, each tooth having a sharpened edge at an anglerelative to the first edge portion, said tooth edges joining to form apoint.

6. A cutter head for making bark-free wood chips comprising a body, arecess therein, a wood-cutting blade secured in the recess in positionto expose the cutting edge thereof, and a chip breaker on the body andheld against the cutting blade, said chip breaker being at the side ofthe blade facing away from the main part of the work to be chipped, saidchip breaker comprising a plate having an edge located inwardly of theedge of the cutting blade and a series of spaced teeth on the chipbreaker blade, said teeth facing away from the cutting blade and beinglocated inwardly of the edge of the latter, said chip breaker bladehaving an edge portion located at an incline with respect to the cuttingblade, the teeth being located on the inclined portion and each toothhaving a sharpened edge generally parallel to said inclined portion, andanother sharpened edge substantially normal to the inclined portion.

, 7. The cutter head of claim 6 wherein the sharpened edges of eachtooth join and form a point located in position to strike the severedpiece cut by the edge of the cutting blade.

8. The cutter head of claim 6 wherein the sharpened edges of each toothjoin and form a point located in position to strike the severed piececut by the edge of the cutting blade, the sharpened edges engaging thewood and splitting the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS321,445 Norris July 7, 1885 2,130,457 Fickett Sept. 20, 1938 2,442,492Hassler June 1, 1948 2,689,092 Clark et al. Sept. 14, 1954 2,710,635Alexander June 14, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 8,422 Great Britain May 30, 18901,042,871 France June 10, 1953

